Photo of the Azteca Stadium, the venue for the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taken on May 10, 2026, (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
Mexico City: Toluca midfielder Marcel Ruiz was included in Mexico's preliminary World Cup squad on Tuesday despite struggling with a knee injury.
The 25-year-old suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in March and opted not to undergo surgery in a bid to be ready for football's showpiece tournament.
He has since made three appearances for the Liga MX club, struggling to recapture his best form and move with the same agility.
Mexico boss Javier Aguirre also included Diego Lainez on a provisional 55-man list, having left the Tigres UANL winger out of recent call-ups due to alleged disciplinary problems.
But there was no place for Hirving Lozano, who has been sidelined at Major League Soccer side San Diego due to an undisclosed internal dispute.
Mexico will begin its World Cup campaign against South Africa on June 11 and will also face South Korea and the Czech Republic.
